The first scientific article in a series of six, examining the potential health effects of wind turbine noise, has been published. The article does not find any clear association between short-term exposure to wind turbine noise at night and MI (Myocardial infarction, heart attacks) or strokes.

After almost five years of research the Danish Cancer Society has published an article concerning human health and exposure to wind turbine noise. Going forward additionally five articles will be published focusing on wind turbine noise and diseases such as diabetes and depression.

The first article does not provide conclusive evidence of an association between short-term effects of wind turbine noise and MI or stroke. However, the article, which is peer-reviewed and published in Environment International, suggests that there might be higher risk for MI or stroke in the relatively few situations when high levels of low frequency wind turbine noise penetrate residences at night. Connected to this finding, the researchers underline, that it may be due to chance.

“After a long waiting period and much public debate in Denmark concerning wind turbine noise and human health, we now have the first result which states that there is no statistical significant evidence of wind turbine noise and cardiovascular events. I hope that the remaining five articles soon will be published in order for the debate about potential health effects to rely on a coherent and updated basis with the most recent knowledge,” Jan Hylleberg, CEO of the Danish Wind Industry Association, stated in prolongation of the publication.

The conclusions from the study is as follows:

“The results did not show conclusive evidence of an association between nighttime WTN and MI or stroke. However, for the relatively few situations with high indoor LF WTN, higher risk estimates were consistently observed. A similar association was not consistently seen for outdoor WTN. The results indicate that WTN penetrating residences at night may act as a trigger of MI and stroke. The results may be due to chance and justify no firm conclusion before reproduced in other populations.”

It was a joint trinity made up by the Danish ministries for respectively health, environment and energy that ordered the Danish Cancer Society to conduct the study already back in 2013. In a press release dated March 7, 2018 the three ministries commented on the article:

“The article does not find conclusive evidence that exposure to wind turbine noise in a short period of time can trigger either heart attacks or strokes. The article however suggests that exposure to low frequency wind turbine noise at night, when you are asleep, may trigger cardiovascular events. The scientists emphasize that the finding is based on fairly few cases and thus may be due to chance.” (translated by DWIA from the press release.)

Thus, this first article from the Danish Cancer Society line up with previous studies, that also has not found clear association between wind turbine noise and health effects.

The Danish authorities will now await the coming five articles before taking any changes of the Danish legislation into consideration.

In 2021, Copenhagen will host the WindEurope Summit, the world’s leading wind energy conference and exhibition. The event is expected to attract more than 10,000 visitors over three days and will cement Copenhagen’s and Denmark’s leading position within wind energy.

On April 27-29 2021, wind energy will be the order of the day, when WindEurope Summit will take place in Bella Center in Copenhagen. More than 10,000 company representatives, researchers and decision-makers are expected to fly into Copenhagen. The event will cater to players from both the global onshore and offshore wind industry.

"Denmark is leading within the field of wind energy and the choice of Copenhagen as host city for the WindEurope Summit only highlights this further. The conference is an obvious opportunity to show what we can do in this country and how much we have achieved in relation to renewable energy – not only with our green transition, but also in terms of the solutions we offer to the global market," says Lars Chr. Lilleholt Minister for Energy, Utilities and Climate.

WindEurope Summit builds on the success of similar award-winning wind conferences in 2012 and 2015, where Copenhagen also served as host city for the global wind industry.

“I’m incredibly proud of the fact that we once again can welcome the international wind industry to Denmark. We have unique competences within wind energy in our country and for that reason, Copenhagen is the obvious choice to place WindEurope Summit 2021”, says Jan Hylleberg, CEO of Danish Wind Industry Association.

Together with several business partners and the European wind organisation, WindEurope, the Danish Wind Industry Association will be responsible for a large part of the planning of the conference.

Furthermore, in March this year Copenhagen was appointed as host city for Offshore Energy 2019, which gathers the global offshore wind industry. The conference will also take place in Bella Center.

”We are extremely proud of that Copenhagen has been chosen as host city for WindEurope Summit 2021. A conference of this magnitude benefits not only business tourism in the city, but it also strengthens Copenhagen’s position as a world leader in wind energy and other sustainable solutions. In addition, the conference is an acknowledgement to the strong collaboration between politics and business communities in Copenhagen, which previously has helped the city to secure other prestigious events within this area, says Mikkel Aarø Hansen, CEO of Wonderful Copenhagen, who has helped getting the conference to Copenhagen.

According to Danish Wind Industry Association’s most recent numbers from 2016, the wind industry employs some 33,000 and has a total turnover of DKK 118 billion. The industry is responsible for 4.1 per cent of the Denmark’s exports. 12,674 are employed in the Central Denmark Region, 8,081 in the Region of Southern Denmark, 4,495 in the Capital Region, 3,981 in the North Denmark Region and 1,956 in Region Zealand.

20 07 2017 | WIND ENERGY DENMARK 2017 unites research and industry

Bringing together the entire wind industry supply chain and research community, the ambition of WIND ENERGY DENMARK 2017 is to further strengthen the knowledge sharing and...

20 07 2017 WIND ENERGY DENMARK 2017 unites research and industry

Bringing together the entire wind industry supply chain and research community, the ambition of WIND ENERGY DENMARK 2017 is to further strengthen the knowledge sharing and ultimately improve the competitiveness of the Danish wind industry.

The green transition has seen wind energy rocket to a front position, as the world’s favored renewable energy technology and the popularity is very much owing to the technological advances that has been made by the Danish wind industry.

Putting research and the continued reduction of wind energy costs first, WIND ENERGY DENMARK 2017, aims to make the wind industry even more competitive and innovative by pinpointing four central areas that are in urgent need for development in the coming years: Industrialization & Standardization, Next Generation Technologies, Grids & Infrastructure and Operation & Maintenance.

- Wind energy onshore and offshore has taken massive leaps forwards over the years, and yet we are now standing right before the next big leap for wind energy – wind turbines with more than 10 MW capacity. This has a huge impact across the wind industry and overcoming the technological challenges will require a close inter-industry collaboration and input from the research institutions, says Jan Hylleberg, CEO of the Danish Wind Industry Association.

The Danish Wind Industry Association is organizing WED together with the Danish Research Consortium for Wind Energy to ensure that the conference sessions focus on the latest knowledge.

- Denmark is special when it comes to wind, we have a unique research community that has specialized in wind energy over several decades and add to that a world leading wind industry supply chain. On that background WED will focus on bringing the newest findings into play for the whole sector to benefit from. Innovation is key to a strong Danish wind industry and therefore WED is one of the most important events of 2017 for the players in the wind sector in Denmark and beyond, says Jan Hylleberg.

Strategic approach to conference topics

The WED conference program is divided into four tracks 1) Industrialization & Standardization, 2) Next Generation Technologies, 3) Grids & Infrastructure and 4) Operation & Maintenance, and each track is based on the strategic prioritizations that has been made by Megavind (a cross industry strategic partnership).

By taking a strategic approach to the current and most urgent themes, WED will have discussions about e.g. datacenters impact on the energy system, the potential of O&M drones, the change digitalization will bring to the industry and blockchain technology on the electricity markets.

- The ambition of the WED conference is to articulate the challenges in the wind industry as the technology gets constantly more complex. So not only do we bring forward the latest knowledge and findings, we also focus on discussing the implications of these findings for the wind industry from the sub suppliers to the end customers, says Anders Mika Dalegaard, Head of Events at the Danish Wind Industry Association.

WED takes place October 2-3 2017 in MCH Messecenter Herning, and besides the conference, WED will also have a Research & Science zone with ongoing presentations from PhD’s and Master students, demonstration zone with technology demonstrations and an exhibition with approx. 40 exhibitors.

20 07 2017 | Largest job creation in the Danish wind industry in 8 years

In 2016 5,8 pct. more people were employed in the Danish wind industry compared to 2015, which makes 2016 the year with the largest job creation in 8 years, according to...

20 07 2017 Largest job creation in the Danish wind industry in 8 years

In 2016 5,8 pct. more people were employed in the Danish wind industry compared to 2015, which makes 2016 the year with the largest job creation in 8 years, according to the latest industry statistics published by the Danish Wind Industry Association. Overall, the numbers show that the wind industry thrived in 2016.

2016 was a very busy year in the Danish wind industry, which meant that companies in the industry hired 1,713 new employees over the course of last year and thereby employing almost 33,000 equaling 2.2 pct. Of the private workforce in Denmark.

2016 was also a good year for the export and turnover in the Danish wind industry as the export increased with 16 pct. and hit a total of 55.6 billion DKK and the turnover was more than 9 billion DKK higher compared to 2015 and resulted in a total turnover of 118 billion DKK in the industry, according to the industry statistics.

“On one hand, the impressive numbers underlines that the wind industry is important for the economic growth in Denmark. On the other hand, it also illustrates that the Danish products and services, which we are world renowned for, are very much in demand,” says Jan Hylleberg, CEO of the Danish Wind Industry Association (DWIA), and elaborates:

” Many of the companies in the Danish wind industry are experiencing global competition, and therefore I’m delighted to see that the export again has a positive curve after a disappointing export year in 2015 – the 16 pct. increase means that we are almost at the same level as in the record years of 2008 and 2009, which I think is very promising.”

In 2015 the exports suffered a drop of 10.7 pct., which is why the rise in exports in 2016 is exceptionally high. A contributing factor to the growth is also the increase in export to both the Netherlands and the UK which respectively tripled and doubled from 2015 to 2016.

The export of energy technology is very important for the Danish economy and in 2016 the export of wind technology and services accounted for 4.1 pct. of the total Danish exports and almost 7 pct. of the product export in Denmark. This result places Denmark at the very top in Europe, as Denmark is the EU-15 country where the wind export has the largest share of the total export.

Countrywide growth

The wind industry is active in all of Denmark’s five regions and in 2016 all regions experienced growth as the number of employees rose in every region. The Central Denmark Region is contentiously the region where the industry has the largest presence with more than 12,500 employees, which corresponds to 4 pct. of all private employees in the region. Even though the Central Region dominates it was surpassed by both the North Denmark Region and Region Zealand in terms of growth in 2016. The number of employees increased by 13.9 pct. in the Northern region and by 9.7 pct. in Zealand compared to 4.3 pct. in the Central Region.

” I’m very pleased that the industry has a national presence and has had a country wide growth in 2016. The industry still has a stronger presence in some regions but hopefully we will continue to see the industry develop and grow across the entire country,” says CEO Jan Hylleberg.

The Industry statistics was produced by DAMVAD Analytics. You can find more information and results here.

20 07 2017 | The wind industry contributes with billions to the public purse

The Danish wind industry, including spillover effects, contributed with 85,000 jobs, a turnover of 240 billion DKK and 28 billion DKK in taxes in 2016. This is evident in...

20 07 2017 The wind industry contributes with billions to the public purse

The Danish wind industry, including spillover effects, contributed with 85,000 jobs, a turnover of 240 billion DKK and 28 billion DKK in taxes in 2016. This is evident in a new industry statistic by DAMVAD Analytics for the Danish Wind Industry Association. It is the first time, that the industry’s contribution to society has been identified.

To get a picture of the total contribution to society from the Danish wind industry DAMVAD Analytics has identified the contributions from the direct value chain and the deflected effects in related industries as well as the effects that arises from the consumer spending. The direct value chain is responsible for 13.3 billion DKK in taxes and if the deflected effects from both related industries and the consumer spending is added the number adds up to 28 billion DKK in 2016, which goes into the public purse.

“We have always known that the wind industry is important for the growth in Denmark and the Danish economy and employment. These new figures support this further and it gives us the opportunity to, without doubt, point out the contribution the industry has on society,” says Jan Hylleberg, CEO of the Danish Wind Industry Association (DWIA).

3 pct. of the Danish GDP

The impact on society is also visible in the GDP contribution, as the Danish wind industry in 2016 contributed with 22.5 billion DKK to the national GDP – and that is only accounting for the effects from the direct value chain. If the effects from the related industries and the consumer spending is added the number rises to 57 billion DKK, which then makes up 3 pct. of the Danish GDP.

When it comes to employment, the industry supplies more than 85,000 jobs in Denmark, whereof 31,000 are in the direct value chain, 25,000 in related industries and remaining 29,000 is created when the employees in both the direct value chain and related industries spend their salaries.

Municipalities benefit

Another feature in the analysis is the mapping of the 31,000 employees in the direct value chain – where they live and how much income tax they contribute with to their local municipality. Ringkøbing-Skjern, in Western Denmark, is the municipality with the largest number of citizens who work in the wind industry and thereby also the municipality who receives most taxes from the wind industry’s employees. In 2016 6 pct. of the municipality’s total income taxes came employees from the Danish wind industry.

“The analysis underlines that both the government and the municipalities benefit greatly from the Danish wind industry through for example company and income taxes. With this contribution, the wind industry supports the Danish welfare and at the same time it creates and develops wind turbines for the green transition in both Denmark and the rest of the world,” says Jan Hylleberg.

The analysis also shows, that many employees commute across municipality boundaries. Let’s take the municipality of Ikast-Brande for example, which have 4,000 jobs within the wind industry but only 1,100 citizens who are employed in the industry. That means about 2,900 employees commute from nearby municipalities to Ikast-Brande but pay their income taxes in their home municipality.

The Industry statistics was produced by DAMVAD Analytics. You can find more information and results here.

11 01 2017 | Just as expected, the production of wind energy fell in Denmark in 2016

There was no new world record to Denmark in 2016. Even though 2016 ended with strong winds, it was not enough to make 2016 a good year in terms of production of wind...

11 01 2017 Just as expected, the production of wind energy fell in Denmark in 2016

There was no new world record to Denmark in 2016. Even though 2016 ended with strong winds, it was not enough to make 2016 a good year in terms of production of wind energy in Denmark. Relatively low winds throughout the year means that the share of power from the Danish wind turbines 'only' generated what corresponds to 37.6% of Denmark’s electricity consumption.

This is somewhat lower than in 2015, when the wind share was 42.1%. The explanation lies in the fact that both 2015 and 2016 were atypical wind years in their own ways. While 2015 was the windiest year since 1994, with winds 14% above normal, 2016 was the least windy in 6 years, with winds 10% below average. According to Energinet.dk, the Danish TSO, the wind share would have been about 41% if 2016 had been a normal wind year.

"Since 2008 we have experienced continuous growth in the wind energy production and each year set a new world record. As expected this trend did not continue in 2016 due to the low winds. Not maintaining the continued growth is to a certain degree frustrating, but on the other hand, it is a reminder that it is the shifting nature of the wind, which we are world champions at harnessing in Denmark. Besides, a wind share of 37.6% is more than approved, and I am pleased that varying production is not affecting our world-class security of supply that we have in Denmark," says Jan Hylleberg, CEO of the Danish Wind Industry Association.

The 37.6% is still enough to bring Denmark to the top when it comes to the use of wind energy in the electricity consumption.

Given it is a normal wind year and the development of wind energy in Denmark continues, it is expected that approximately 60% of the electricity consumption will be powered by wind in 2021.

Foreign countries also affect the wind shareThe wind share shows how much of the Danish electricity consumption wind energy can cover. At certain times, wind energy will cover a small percentage, while at other times, as seen over Christmas 2016, there will be so much electricity that it exceeds the Danish demand and it can be exported to the neighboring countries. Therefore, it is not just the weather that determines how much wind energy that can be produced, so do other countries’ import of electricity.

"This Christmas Sweden chose to pause the import of power from Denmark, which unfortunately meant that the Danish wind turbine owners in some cases were forced to stop or down-regulate the production. Access to the German market has a similar insufficiency as the export to Germany is also stopped at times. Both issues will hopefully be resolved within the next couple of years as the transmission grid is built out."

“All the same, as the European countries are moving towards more renewable energy, expanding and rebuilding the transmission cables is highly relevant. Also, an increased use of power is needed, as power is getting greener and greener, and subsequently will overtake fossil fuels in the transport and heating sectors,” concludes Jan Hylleberg.

Read more

You can find more information about the consumption and production of wind energy on www.energinet.dk

14 12 2016 | Gain insight into Denmark’s green transition

Denmark is a frontrunner when it comes to the transition of the energy system and many countries around the world look to Denmark and Danish companies for inspiration and...

14 12 2016 Gain insight into Denmark’s green transition

Denmark is a frontrunner when it comes to the transition of the energy system and many countries around the world look to Denmark and Danish companies for inspiration and solutions. A new magazine zooms in on the work that is being done in Denmark.

There are many stories to be told about the Danish energy sectors and the transition that is taking place in these years. In 2050, Denmark will run entirely on renewables and already in 2030 at least 50 percent of the Danish energy consumption has to be green. In other words: Denmark has must push forward in the coming years.

What comes to mind when thinking about the green transition is often wind turbines and electric cars. However, the green transition is much more than this, and that is exactly what a new Danish magazine has decide to describe for the international society.

The magazine, Foresight, has an ambition of highlighting the smart – often Danish – solutions that exists. Thereby the magazine plays into the ambition of DIWA and many Danish wind turbine manufacturers and suppliers that want to show the green transition put into practice. Only by communicating that a country can one day be powered by a 100 percent wind turbines and the next day by 30 percent biomass, can it be shown to the international society that the green transition is just not a remote idea. It can be done, and to a large extend, it is already happening in Denmark.

Denmark is the best in the world in regards to energy security, environmental sustainability and energy equity (World Energy Council) and all the why’s and who’s associated to this ranking are continuously describe in Foresight.

22 11 2016 | Organizational change in DWIA as COO moves to become CEO of GWO

Starting from December 2016, The Danish Wind Industry Association (DWIA) will have a new organizational structure, set to strengthen both member relations and the...

22 11 2016 Organizational change in DWIA as COO moves to become CEO of GWO

Starting from December 2016, The Danish Wind Industry Association (DWIA) will have a new organizational structure, set to strengthen both member relations and the political work done by the association. As part of the change the current COO of DWIA, Jakob Lau Holst, takes on the leadership of the Global Wind Organisation (GWO).

As of December 1st, DWIA will undergo an organizational change which means that the secretariat will consists of a management team and three teams that focuses on policy, analysis and communication and activities, events and member relations and finally technology and supply chain development.

”I have big expectations in regards to the new organizational structure, which in a larger degree will reflect the reality our members experience and thereby enable us to accommodate their needs even better. The new organizational structure also supports our strategy to make our members more competitive in the wind market,” says Jan Hylleberg CEO of DWIA and elaborates:

”One of the contributing factors to the change is that Jakob Lau Holst has been offered the position as the CEO of GWO. I’m very pleased that GWO has appointed Jakob as the new CEO. Already he has made many achievements in professionalizing GWO, and now he is receiving a well-deserved acknowledgement for his hard work.”

GWO will continue to work closely with DWIA and the organization will also be situated in the DWIA office in Copenhagen. The organizational change entails that Jan Hylleberg will take on the management role for DWIA alone as there will not be appointed a new COO. This also means that some employees will take on new responsibilities.

GWO is a cooperation between some of the world’s leading wind turbine producers and owners. The main purpose of the organization is to develop and spread common standards for safety training across organizations and markets all over the world. The first common standard, Basic Safety Training, was published in 2012.

“Using common standards is at the outmost importance to the wind industry, and we expect GWO to grow over the next few years. I’m very much looking forward to taking on the leadership of GWO in this progress, even though it means leaving DWIA. My time here has been amazing and I’m happy to be continuing my journey in the service of a great industry. The new part is that from now on I will also contribute to create a safer work environment for the many employees in the wind industry – what’s not to like?” says Jakob Lau Holst who has worked in DWIA since 2002 and been the COO since 2008.

Currently 160 training providers are certified to offer the special GWO-certified training, and around 15.000 people receive GWO’s Basic Safety Training on a yearly basis, which is registered and verified in GWO’s online data base WINDA.

Today, a broad political coalition in the Danish parliament has made an agreement which secures the completion of the Danish near shore tender of 350 MW. The tender was...

17 11 2016 Political agreement secures world’s cheapest offshore wind

Today, a broad political coalition in the Danish parliament has made an agreement which secures the completion of the Danish near shore tender of 350 MW. The tender was won by Swedish utility Vattenfall in September and has been subject to big uncertainty since, as the Danish government has proposed to cancel the tender. An uncertainty that has now been eradicated.

The near shore tender consists of the two offshore wind farms Vesterhav Syd and Nord, located 4-10 kilometers offshore from the Danish West coast. To date, the tender has the lowest Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE), meaning that no other offshore wind farm in the world can provide power at a lower price, all expenses taken into consideration over the lifetime of the park.

Along with the recent tender for the 600 MW Kriegers Flak, the Vesterhav Syd and Nord have been now approved as part of the political agreement which shifts the so called Public Service Obligation (PSO) tariff away from the electricity bill to the national budget. The PSO has been deemed problematic in accordance with EU law and subsequently the government has worked hard to find a different solution. A solution that now includes the approval of the near shore tender, as the government’s proposal to cancel the tender was rejected by a political majority.

“I’m very pleased that a broad coalition along with the government has landed on an agreement which secures the offshore tenders. This sends a strong signal and ends a long period of uncertainty in Danish energy politics. The agreement will secure thousands of jobs, allow the continued green transition, and at the same time, I’m very pleased that Denmark once again sets an example by building the world’s cheapest offshore wind farms,” says Jan Hylleberg, CEO, Danish Wind Industry Association.

DWIA has worked hard to have all tenders and content of the energy agreement (established in 2012) approved. The Danish authorities expect roughly 6,000 jobs to be created as part of the near shore tender. Along with the Kriegers Flak offshore wind farm, some 16,000 jobs (man-years) will be created. More than 10 % of the Danish electricity will be generated by the wind farms once they come in operation in 2020 and 2021 - Kriegers Flak being the last to come into full operation.

Both Kriegers Flak and the near shore tender (Vesterhav Syd and Nord) have been won by Vattenfall.

28 06 2016 | 2015 was a year of both ups and downs for the Danish wind industry

The Danish wind industry has continued its positive development, since the financial crisis in 2009, with an increased turnover in 2015. Compared to 2014 the turnover has...

28 06 2016 2015 was a year of both ups and downs for the Danish wind industry

The Danish wind industry has continued its positive development, since the financial crisis in 2009, with an increased turnover in 2015. Compared to 2014 the turnover has increased with 2.9 pct., which results in a total turnover of 87.9 billion DKK in 2015. This is also visible in the employment rate, which is almost 4 pct. higher than in 2014.

The Danish wind industry is at its highest since the financial crisis in 2009 according to the latest industry statistics published by the Danish Wind Industry Association. However, the numbers also show a decrease of 10.7 pct. in the export of Danish wind technology from 2014 to 2015.

“It is very good to see that the Danish wind industry is keeping up the positive development we’ve seen over the past few years. Unfortunately, the export has not been able to keep up with this tendency this year, which is most likely linked to the enormous amount of offshore projects in 2015. They contributed to a lot of export in 2014 as Denmark is one of the leading countries when it comes to offshore wind,” says the CEO of The Danish Wind Industry Association, Jan Hylleberg.

The export of Danish wind technology is still moving in the right direction in spite of the drop in 2014. From 2013 to 2015, the export has grown with 6 pct.

Energy companies contribute to the total turnover

For the first time the Danish energy companies’ turnover and employment is a part of the industry statistics. By adding the turnover from the energy companies’ the total turnover from the Danish wind industry increases with 20.5 billion, which makes 108.4 billion in 2015.

The Danish wind industry employed 31,251 in 2015 this was 3.8 pct. higher than in 2014, and the industry employs a little over 2 out of every 100 private employees in Denmark. To put the employment in perspective the Danish workforce in the private sector was almost 1.4 million in 2015.

“The continuing growth in employment and yearly turnover is very positive. It shows we are on the right track and that Denmark is a real player in the foreign wind markets,” says Jan Hylleberg.

If you look at the jobs, which the wind industry generates in Europe, Denmark is responsible for around 12.5 pct. of all the wind related jobs in Europe.

Wind technology is a big part of the energy export

If you compare the Danish export of wind technology to see whether it is goods or services that is in the highest demand it is clear that goods, such as wings to wind turbines, is a clear winner. In 2015 the export accounted for 48.3 billion and 70 pct. of the export of came from selling goods to foreign markets. The remaining 30 pct. is related to services.

The Danish wind industry is responsible for almost half of all exports of energy technology in Denmark in 2015.

“I’m not surprised that the wind industry is responsible for such a big part of the energy export in Denmark. Denmark is the world’s Wind Energy Hub and this shows that Danish wind technology is high in demand on the global market. However, it is very important that we keep developing the Danish wind industry. If not, we are in the risk of losing this very favorable position. This means being a frontrunner with new technology and solutions to optimize the wind industry,” says Jan Hylleberg.

The wind industry is important for job creation in all of Denmark

The Danish wind industry is deeply rooted west of The Great Belt in Denmark primarily in Jutland and South Denmark. 79 pct. of all the jobs have their base in this area but the industry contributes to job creation in all of Denmark.

“The Danish wind industry plays an important role for employment in Denmark because it creates jobs all over the country. As a result of the strong competencies present in Denmark, many Danes also work on projects in foreign countries. If the wind industry were not present in Denmark, all of the country would feel it,“says associate professor at the University of Southern Denmark Tove Brink and contentious:

“The wind industry does not only contribute in the creation of direct jobs, which are the ones listed in the industry statistics, it also creates indirect jobs who benefit from the industry. As for example the hotel business benefit from the many representatives of the wind industry that stay the night in hotels all over the country.”

22 03 2016 | DWIA awarded ‘Congress Host of the Year’

The Danish Wind Industry Association has been awarded ‘Congress Host of the Year for congresses larger than 1.000 delegates’ by the City of Copenhagen and...

22 03 2016 DWIA awarded ‘Congress Host of the Year’

The Danish Wind Industry Association has been awarded ‘Congress Host of the Year for congresses larger than 1.000 delegates’ by the City of Copenhagen and Wonderful Copenhagen. The prestigious award was presented for hosting EWEA Offshore 2015, which attracted more than 8,000 delegates to Copenhagen.

One of the reasons why the jury selected EWEA Offshore 2015 as the winner in the category ‘Congress Host of the Year for congresses larger than 1.000 delegates’ was because EWEA Offshore 2015 helped to underline the Danish position as a leading country for wind energy. At the same time, the conference was handled extremely professionally. At the award ceremony Anders Mika Dalegaard, Event Manager in the Danish Wind Industry Association, said:

“We are glad and honored to receive this recognition from the City of Copenhagen and Wonderful Copenhagen for our work with EWEA Offshore 2015. However, we are especially proud about the fact that we succeeded in gathering such a variety of Danish partners in the project. As a result, we managed to highlight Danish offshore competences from so many different angles. Thank you all – and now we are looking forward to continue our dialogue around the possibilities to stage EWEA Offshore in Copenhagen soon again.”

Congresses creates growth

At the award ceremony, that was held on March 15th at City Hall, Anna Mee Allerslev, Mayor of Employment and Integration, said:

“Congresses create jobs and growth in Copenhagen and in the rest of the country and helps spark the international profile for Copenhagen.”

Each year Copenhagen hosts around 200 international congresses and events and despite its relatively small size the Danish capital has been in ICCAs top 20 over the world’s most popular congress cities for decades.

Besides EWEA Offshore 2015,”EAPC 2015 – 14th World Congress of the European Association of Palliative Care” and ”16th International Inner Wheel Convention” were nominated in the category.

10 12 2015 | COP21: The Answer Is (Blowing) In the Wind

It is hard to disagree with the massive importance of the COP21 negotiations in Paris. Pressure on all delegations and the French Presidency is mounting, as a binding...

10 12 2015 COP21: The Answer Is (Blowing) In the Wind

It is hard to disagree with the massive importance of the COP21 negotiations in Paris. Pressure on all delegations and the French Presidency is mounting, as a binding global agreement is a "sine qua non" to curb the climate changes we are already experiencing. On the other hand, it is not hard to point to the solutions and instruments that might just do the trick.

Every person who has been to Denmark will know that wind turbines are part of the landscape across our relatively small and windy country. In fact, wind is one of the few natural resources Denmark has. A circumstance that Danish politicians long ago decided to utilize to the fullest. Over the course of 40 years, wind energy has grown into a mature, reliable and cheap energy technology very much due to the efforts made by Danish companies underpinned by a long-term framework. Looking back just 10 years, no one would have believed it possible that 43% of the Danish electricity consumption would be provided by wind turbines (first half of 2015), let alone thinking that it would be possible that wind energy can supply all of the demand on especially windy days.

Seeing that it is possible to harness large amounts of wind energy and at the same time having a "normal" well-functioning energy system without shortfalls of electricity, has given Denmark global attention. This is great news. However, and quite obviously, wind energy alone is not the solution to the massive climate challenges facing our planet. Several other renewable technologies are needed.

In the case of Denmark and the Nordic region, the large scale of utilization of wind energy and other renewable energies is optimized by strong interconnections and a common market between Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland. In fact, electricity is constantly traded between the countries, automatically balancing the supply and demand and thereby the price of electricity in the region. Sourcing electricity from multiple (international) markets means that it is easier to source renewable power and that polluting technologies can be paused for longer periods, thus benefitting the climate.

The essential and complex transitions of the energy systems of the world comes with a price. However, not making the investments can turn out to be even more costly. Therefore, the billion-dollar investments should be made where they make the most sense and not necessarily within the borders of each country. Looking to Europe and the ambitions behind the new strategy on the Energy Union, it is not unthinkable that countries with poor wind conditions should be able to invest in e.g. offshore wind farms in the windy North Sea. Another example could be large scale investments in solar power in North Africa. This will lead to higher "uptimes" and minimized needs for subsidies and ultimately fewer CO2 emissions at a lower price.

Denmark is a display window into a modern-energy system where wind energy is dominating and where the use of clean electricity in the transport and heating sector is on the way up, benefitting climate and customers. The technology is already widely available and so is the evidence that the climate is changing. What we need is political leadership and a determination to change the path we are currently headed. After COP21 in Paris, I truly hope that the global community will live up to the greatest challenge of this generation and agree on a binding global agreement that makes the most of all of the answers to the climate challenge that are "blowing in the wind."

This Op-ed by Jan Hylleberg, CEO of the Danish Wind Industry Association, was posted on Huffingtonpost.com.

29 10 2015 | The bidding competition for Kriegers Flak intensifies

The Danish Energy Agency has gone through the submitted applications for building the offshore wind farm Kriegers Flak and has pre-qualified seven companies to participate...

29 10 2015 The bidding competition for Kriegers Flak intensifies

The Danish Energy Agency has gone through the submitted applications for building the offshore wind farm Kriegers Flak and has pre-qualified seven companies to participate in the bidding process. The number is the largest ever in connection with an offshore wind farm in Denmark and the Danish Wind Industry Association as well as the Danish Minister of Energy welcomes the competition.

Originally, eight applications were submitted for Kriegers Flak in the Baltic Sea by deadline October 1. After reviewing the applications, the Danish Energy Agency disqualified one applicant for not fulfilling the criteria. The remaining seven applicants are now pre-qualified for bidding on the project.

Record amount of applicants
Never before have there been so many pre-qualified applicants for a bidding round for an offshore wind farm in Denmark and the heightened competition will benefit the Danish consumers, according to the Minister of Energy, Supply and Climate, Lars Christian Lilleholt:

“We have the largest number of pre-qualified applicants ever in Danish wind history. I believe and hope that the competition to win Kriegers Flak will lead to the best possible price which benefits the Danish electricity consumers”.

Satisfaction with the amount of interest and competition
The Danish Wind Industry Association is very pleased with the amount of interest and competition surrounding Kriegers Flak and the viewpoint that the increased competition will benefit the consumer is shared:

“The fact that there are seven pre-qualified companies for Kriegers Flak shows with all clarity that there is a fierce competition in the market for wind and that is why the final price will be the lowest possible market price. Furthermore, seeing things in a larger perspective, the number of pre-qualified applicants clearly shows that there is a wide interest and belief in maintaining the Danish conditions” says Jan Hylleberg, CEO of the Danish Wind Industry Association.

The bidding process of Kriegers Flak will take more than a year and will involve a negotiation with the bidders. The final and binding offer must be submitted by November 8, 2016.

2014 was a strong good year for the companies in the Danish wind industry. The overall exports increased by no less than 16.7% - indicating a busy year for the industry....

28 05 2015 The Danish wind industry takes a significant jump in 2014

2014 was a strong good year for the companies in the Danish wind industry. The overall exports increased by no less than 16.7% - indicating a busy year for the industry. The revenue rose by 7.4%, while the number of job increased by more than 5%.

The newest industry figures for 2014 from the Danish Wind Industry Association are now out, showing headway on all measurable parameters. The industry upturn marks the final goodbye to the challenging times and conditions brought on by the global financial crisis that hit the industry in 2008-2009.

“The figures are very impressive, and there is no doubt that this points to the end of the crisis for the majority of the companies in the Danish wind industry. The results are an indication of the hard work that has taken place across the industry. It stresses the ability of the industry to take on an increasingly big part of the global wind energy market in 2014 and the previous years,” says Jan Hylleberg, CEO, Danish Wind Industry Association.

The leading Danish companies Siemens Wind Power and Vestas Wind Systems have increased their market share, excluding China, over the last four years. This has led to a spiral effect pulling up the entire value chain according to Jan Hylleberg.

Global outreachThe Danish market is small compared to the size of the Danish wind industry, which also explains why 63% of the total revenue of 84.4 billion DKK (11.3 billion EUR), corresponding to 53.5 billion DKK (7.2 billion EUR), was exported. The exports made up 5.2% of the total Danish exports last year and overall more than 30,000 people were employed in the industry in Denmark alone.

“The businesses in the Danish wind industry are highly globalized, and they have been able to adapt to the changing market conditions and the increase in volume that we experienced last year. Especially in terms of the offshore market, no one is on par with the Danish competences. This will help boost the strong Danish position in the coming years as more industrial players are trying to enter the wind industry,” concludes Jan Hylleberg.

20 03 2015 | EWEA OFFSHORE 2015 draws over 8000 delegates from around the world

Over 8000 delegates from 54 countries descended on Copenhagen this year to attend the EWEA OFFSHORE 2015 event at the Bella Center - the world’s largest offshore...

20 03 2015 EWEA OFFSHORE 2015 draws over 8000 delegates from around the world

Over 8000 delegates from 54 countries descended on Copenhagen this year to attend the EWEA OFFSHORE 2015 event at the Bella Center - the world’s largest offshore wind energy conference and exhibition.

In addition to 430+ exhibitors, the event saw keynote speeches from high-level political and industry players on the state of Europe’s offshore wind industry and the continent’s energy mix at large.

EWEA OFFSHORE 2015 played host to the Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and six ministers from four different Member States including the Deputy Prime Minister of Denmark Morten Ostergaard; Denmark’s Foreign Minister Martin Lidegaard; Denmark’s Minister for Climate, Energy and Building Rasmus Helveg Petersen; Sweden’s Energy Minister Ibrahim Baylan; Ireland’s Research and Innovation Minister Damien English; and the Latvian Economy Minister Dana Reizniece-Ozola, whose country also holds the EU Council Presidency.

The central theme of the event tackled one of the most pressing issues for the offshore wind business today – cost reduction. Three of the biggest players on the European offshore wind stage – DONG Energy, MHI Vestas Offshore Wind and Siemens Wind Power – launched an initiative at the event called United Industry. The declaration aims to spark joint and collective actions across the whole of the value chain to deliver long-term reductions in the cost of offshore wind.

EWEA OFFSHORE 2015 also had a heavy press presence with over 100 journalists from the mainstream, trade and B2B media attending to speak with delegates and experts on a variety of different topics. Journalists were invited to a number of press conferences held by EWEA members as well as short boat trip to view the Middelgrunden offshore wind farm in Copenhagen – once the world’s largest offshore park.

The three-day event provided an excellent showcase and networking opportunity for EWEA’s members to speak with policymakers, media and industry partners alike while also enjoying a wide range of plenary sessions and workshops.

EWEA would like to thank everyone who contributed to making EWEA OFFSHORE 2015 a resounding success and looks forward to welcoming the wind industry supply chain at the EWEA 2015 Annual Event in Paris in November.

Integrating 10, 20, 30, 40 or 50% wind energy in the electricity system, agreeing on the political framework for large investments and getting the citizens on board for new projects is no easy task. Yet it is possible, and Danish developments in wind power stand testament to this.

Since the end of the 1970s, Denmark has been building a high-tech wind energy industry and has developed into a global hub for wind spanning the entire value chain. In 2004, wind turbines provided 18.8% of Denmark’s electricity consumption. 10 years later the figure had increased to 39.1%, which is a world record. In January 2014 alone, Denmark’s wind turbines reached 61.7%. This is according to figures from Energinet.dk, the Danish transmission system operator responsible for the security of supply of electricity and gas:

“It can’t be done. It’s not possible to integrate more than a few percent wind energy in the electricity system. These are the words we sometimes hear when foreign visitors visit Energinet.dk. However, when we open the door to our control room and show them that we on any given day have 20, 30, 40% wind energy or more in our electricity system, we are not presenting them with a theoretical calculation or case story. What they see is a quiet control room without panic and the electricity system that supplies Danish households and businesses with electricity – which has one of the highest levels of security of supply in Europe,” said Peder Østermark Andreasen, CEO, Energinet.dk.

The 13 offshore wind farms in Denmark are crucial to reach the Danish goal of a fossil-free future by 2050. Today, onshore wind power has become the cheapest energy source for new electricity generation in Denmark, undercutting coal and natural gas, according to a cost analysis performed by the Danish Energy Agency. In terms of offshore, with a price of 10.31 Eurocent per. kWh., the new offshore wind farm, Horns Rev 3, will provide power much cheaper than other recently established offshore wind farms in Denmark and abroad.

“Denmark is in the middle of a green transition and wind energy plays a big part in creating an energy system based on renewable energy sources. (…) It was the question of energy security that sparked the Danish transition. The recent development in our part of the world shows that the question of energy security of supply is more relevant than ever. Wind energy is a great way to meet this challenge,” said Danish Minister for Climate, Energy and Building Rasmus Helveg Petersen in the foreword of the white paper.

White Paper: Wind Energy Moving Ahead

This white paper on wind: “Wind Energy Moving Ahead – How Denmark utilises wind in the energy sector” gathers lessons learned from different Danish players and legislators within the wind energy sector, supported by state-of-the-art case examples showing, for instance, how integrating wind, investing in wind and optimising products to make more wind for less money is being done every day.

The content is meant to serve has a helpful tool for international stakeholders who wish to gain an overview of the Danish approach to utilise wind, who want to spot the potentials of wind power, or are looking for Danish business partners. The white paper has been developed by State of Green and the Danish Wind Industry Association.

The white paper includes:

- Wind is a major part of the solution
Foreword by Rasmus Helveg Petersen, Danish Minister of Climate, Energy and
Building

- There is no status quo in the wind industry: Cost reductions and alliances
are keywords in the Danish wind industry

By Jan Hylleberg, CEO, Danish Wind Industry Association

- Acting the way the industry needs: When dialogue, transparency and
flexibility become more than just words By Peter Sehestedt, Special Advisor, Danish Energy Agency

The winning tender for the wind farm Horns Rev 3 came from Vattenfall Vindkraft A/S who have agreed a price of 10.31 Eurocent per. kWh. In comparison with previous price assumptions, this means that Danish consumers will experience a saving of approximately 295 million Euros. over the next 11-12 years, which is the period during which the offshore wind farm will be in receipt of subsidies. Thereafter, the Horns Rev 3 facility will produce electricity at the market price and will no longer receive any form of subsidy.

The winning bid is well below the 14.07 Eurocent (15.15 Eurocent in fixed 2015-prices) which is the price being charged by Anholt Offshore Wind Farm. Horns Rev 3 is thus 32 percent cheaper than the last time Denmark built an offshore wind farm. This makes it the cheapest offshore wind park in Europe at the moment.

Compared to other wind farms abroad, this represents a very low price. Though a direct comparison is not possible, in the UK - the largest market for wind turbines - the cheapest parks currently being built cost 15.33 Eurocent / kWh in 2015. In addition to this the subsidies are adjusted for inflation and, in contrast to Denmark, the subsidy period is 15 years instead if the 11-12 years afforded in Denmark.

”With Horns Rev 3 Denmark is making windmill history through realising a significant reduction in the cost of establishing offshore wind farms. There is no doubt that the power from offshore wind turbines will continue to be an essential part of the green transition and contribute effectively to reducing CO2 in the atmosphere," says Minister for Climate, Energy and Building Rasmus Helveg Petersen.

The low price is due in large part to technological developments throughout the wind turbine industry combined with a very successful tendering process. Through extensive dialogue and subsequent negotiations with the bidders, the DEA have managed to lower the price considerably. At the same time, a good, competitive environment was fostered around the windmill tendering process in which four companies were pre-qualified to participate.

"The low price is not just good for Denmark, but also for the international green transition. The general decline in prices in the market for wind power means that offshore wind power is now well on its way to becoming a viable competitive alternative to traditional fossil fuels. At the same time, we have developed an efficient procurement model which the whole of Europe can take inspiration from," says Rasmus Helveg Petersen.

The successful bid has already been approved by the signatories of the Energy Agreement 2012 and must now be adopted by parliament and signed into law. The government will present the bill on March 18 and the proposal is expected to be adopted during April with the backing of a large political majority in parliament.

Facts about Horns Rev 3
- The winner of the tendering process is Vattenfall Vindkraft A/S.
- The agreed price is 10.31 Eurocent per. kWh.
- The construction of Horns Rev 3 is to commence as soon as possible and the
park is to be completed by 1 January 2020.
- The first turbines will be able to be connected to the grid from January 1 2017
when they will be functional and ready to supply power to the grid.
- There were four companies pre-qualified to participate in the tender.
- Horns Rev 3 will result in the creation of up to 7,000 jobs over a three year
period starting in 2016.
- Electricity production from the park will be enough to supply the needs of
450,000 households.
- Establishing this facility will increase the wind-sector’s share of electricity
consumption in 2020 by 4.8% points from 46.2% to 51.0%.
- CO2 emissions will be reduced by 1.16 million tons.

Source: Danish Ministry of Climate, Energy and Building

12 01 2015 | Denmark sets world record in wind – again

2014 saw once again a world record for the Danish energy sector, as wind provided 39.1% of the Danish electricity. This was reported by the Danish transmission regulator...

12 01 2015 Denmark sets world record in wind – again

2014 saw once again a world record for the Danish energy sector, as wind provided 39.1% of the Danish electricity. This was reported by the Danish transmission regulator Energinet.dk.

We have only just left 2014, yet it is already clear that 2014 was an extremely good year in terms of electricity production from the Danish wind turbines. In total, 39.1 % of Danish electricity came from wind energy. In comparison, this figure was 33.2 % in 2013.

"We have seen a good increase from 2013 to 2014. I am particularly pleased that the energy industry has once again proven that wind turbines have a central role in a modern energy system. With this, Denmark proves that it is possible to handle large amounts of wind energy without a problem," Jan Hylleberg says, CEO for the Danish Wind Industry Association.

In 2013, a large expansion of new wind energy capacity took place in Denmark with the grid connection of the 400 MW Anholt Offshore Wind farm as well as a record high number of onshore wind turbines. The fruits of this became evident in 2014. According to Energinet.dk, 2014 was just an ordinary 'wind-year' with an average amount of wind. January 2014, however, saw periods with lots of wind and on average 61.7% of electricity consumption this month came from wind turbines.

"Every year, we prove that we can integrate more electricity from wind turbines into the energy system. The major task is now to ensure that we use this electricity in the transport and heating sector. Together with politicians, we must urgently ensure more large heat pumps in the direct heating network, as a huge potential lies here," Jan Hylleberg concludes.

17 11 2014 | Apples and oranges in new study on property values

A theoretical analysis from researchers at the University of Copenhagen finds that houses neighboring wind turbines to a varying degree will depreciate in value due to...

17 11 2014 Apples and oranges in new study on property values

A theoretical analysis from researchers at the University of Copenhagen finds that houses neighboring wind turbines to a varying degree will depreciate in value due to noise and visual impact. It is a substantial analysis, however it leaves little to say on the current situation with onshore wind energy development in Denmark, says Danish Wind Industry Association and Danish Wind Turbine Owners' Association in a joint message.

Based on a number of theoretical models and assumptions as well as more than 10.000 house sales from 2000-2011, the analysis shows that loss of property value occurs to a varying degree depending on whether a wind turbine is visible or audible from the analyzed house. For example, the researchers found that a house located 800 meters from the nearest wind turbine will depreciate 7-14% in value. However, the type of wind turbines installed in Denmark today (125 meters+ in height) make out less than 5% of the data in the analysis.

“It’s a very complicated and highly theoretical analysis which builds on a number of assumptions. The result is a thorough analysis, from which it is very hard to draw any conclusions that that are applicable to the installation and planning of large modern turbines in Denmark today,” says Asbjørn Bjerre, CEO, Danish Wind Turbine Owners' Association. He is followed by Jan Hylleberg, CEO, Danish Wind Industry Association:

“Like most other real estate markets, the Danish market is based on peoples’ willingness to pay extra for a certain house and location. Thus, some people choose not to live close to highways, cellphone towers or wind turbines and the analysis simply finds that certain house prices are affected if a turbine is visible or audible. The same mechanism will apply to a house next to a busy road. However, the findings are based on both new and old turbines which makes it hard to apply the findings”

The analysis is based on distance, noise and visual data from the 24 residential areas in Denmark with most household transactions within 600 meters of wind turbines, regardless of size and age of the wind turbines.

“The regulations on noise and distance have changed a lot over the years and today, there are typically no houses located within 600 meters of a new wind turbine,” says Asbjørn Bjerre.

Assessing loss of value todayAs the only country in world, Denmark is already operating with a specific legal provision in the renewables legislation act, which allows neighbors to new wind turbines to seek compensation if a property loses value. The Danish Valuation Authority (Taksationsmyndigheden) assesses loss of value based on personal onsite inspections by a lawyer and a real estate agent and has been in place since 2009. The assessment applies to all neighbors who will potentially be affected by the installation of a new wind turbine. This means that neighbors to a wind turbine have a higher degree of economic protection than neighbors to other types of infrastructure.

“It is important to distinguish between the theoretical and the real-life way of assessing the value of a house and subsequently the potential depreciation of that value,“ says Jan Hylleberg.

24 09 2014 | Denmark – Wind Energy Hub

Denmark is home to some of the world’s largest and most innovative wind companies, and the Danish skills within wind energy have created a competitive, globally...

24 09 2014 Denmark – Wind Energy Hub

Denmark is home to some of the world’s largest and most innovative wind companies, and the Danish skills within wind energy have created a competitive, globally leading wind industry.

A new brochure from the Danish Wind Industry Association, focusing on all levels of the value chain, highlights the solutions and possibilities present in the Danish wind industry. Denmark is the first country to actively pursue an energy system independent of fossil fuels. In the realization of a sustainable and cost efficient energy supply in Denmark, the Danish skills within wind energy play a central role.

The brochure – “Denmark – Wind Energy Hub” – is published in cooperation with Invest in Denmark and State of Green. It is targeted at international companies and decision makers wanting an overview and an introduction to the composition and potential of the Danish wind industry as well as how wind energy can be implemented as an essential part of a county’s energy system.

Furthermore, the brochure highlights a number of current issues including the importance of political commitment and stability; Denmark as the offshore first-mover; cost reduction; the global overflow of Danish offshore DNA; pioneering Danish research; the importance of qualified human resources and much more.

08 09 2014 | Interview: The Power of Wind

Denmark is Harvesting Wind Power and Strengthening the European Grid
Denmark has been the first country to fully embrace wind energy. Its wind revolution began in the...

08 09 2014 Interview: The Power of Wind

Denmark is Harvesting Wind Power and Strengthening the European Grid

Denmark has been the first country to fully embrace wind energy. Its wind revolution began in the 1970s. "Today, Denmark is still home to some of the most prominent players in the various disciplines, such as production of turbines, finance, installation, and project development," says Jan Hylleberg, CEO of the Danish Wind Industry Association. Denmark's leading position in the industry is also due to the fact that they've had large amounts of wind energy feeding their electricity grid. According to Hylleberg, last year more than 33% of the electricity came from wind energy This number is expected to increase to 50% in 2020.

Denmark has also been the first country to use wind turbines offshore. The first offshore turbines were deployed in 1991 and are still running. Hylleberg explains, "Today, it is a totally different ball game. - industrialization and professionalism have increased a lot. In Denmark, we hold second place for installed wind energy capacity offshore and we are currently planning for 1400 MW offshore to be installed by 2020. The largest current projects are the two offshore parks Kriegers Flak in the Baltic Sea (600 MW) and Horns Rev 3 in the North Sea (400 MW)." Offshore wind has large potential and Europe's capacity to generate it will increase 7-8 times before 2025. Leading companies based in Denmark such as Siemens Wind Power, MHIVestas Offshore Wind and DONG Energy hold a prime position in the growing market. Today, approximately 9 out of 10 offshore turbines are made by Danes.

For other countries, Denmark presents a real-world example of how wind energy can be used in large scale and across borders. "Some days, wind turbines produce what corresponds to more than l 00% of the electricity consumption. Danish energy companies and the TS01 are controlling the production and export of wind. This is quite unique and an example of how a region such as Europe can function in the future," says Hylleberg. Many companies in Denmark are already international players, carrying Danish knowledge beyond borders. Also, foreign companies are settling in Denmark to open R&D and production facilities, as the quality of wind research and innovation in Denmark is high and the country is well-positioned strategically in the wind energy market.

When it comes to exporting their energy; Denmark is part of the Nord Pool Spot electricity market. By letting the markets regulate the demand, it becomes possible to adjust the use of fossil energy as the use of coal and gas can be kept to a minimum on windy days and turned up on windless days.

Key challenges

Although the wind industry is developing rapidly, only onshore wind is cheaper than gas and other energy sources. Today offshore wind remains more expensive. The industry aims at lowering these prices. "Among other things, this means that the energy playing field must be leveled. By this, I mean to remove subsidies for all energy technologies including wind energy," states Mr. Hylleberg. Renewable energy currently receives significantly fewer subsidies than fossil fuels and nuclear energy in the EU. "By removing this barrier and strengthening the grid across Europe, we can overcome some of the barriers that arise when the turbines in one region are producing a lot or a power plant shuts down unintentionally. In Denmark, we have developed an effective grid and regional market, but this needs to be broadened to the rest of EU," concludes Hylleberg.

The interview has been published in NRG Magazine, edition 15 (page 36). Read the magazine online here where you can also read more about the upcomming IGRC 2014 (International Gas Union Research Conference 2014) September 17-19 in Copenhagen, Denmark.

16 04 2014 | Global decline had little effect in Denmark

In 2013, Danish wind companies experienced a slight overall decline in turnover and exports. Despite this, the Danish wind industry still performed better than the highly...

16 04 2014 Global decline had little effect in Denmark

In 2013, Danish wind companies experienced a slight overall decline in turnover and exports. Despite this, the Danish wind industry still performed better than the highly challenged global wind market. The Danish Wind Industry Association’s recently published industry statistics show a decline in 2013, but 2014 will bring back industry growth, says the Association.

The recently published report outlines the performance of the large group of companies in the Danish wind industry in 2013, where the global market for new wind energy installations dropped 26 pct. compared to the year before. In the report, the Danish Wind Industry Association presents a decline in Danish exports by 6.9 pct. in 2013. In the same year, the report also shows a fall in the revenue of 1.6 pct., which ended on level with previous years at approx. 80 billion DKK.

"In a global perspective, companies in the Danish wind industry got well through 2013. When looking at the general market decline, Danish wind companies actually outperformed several other competitors, and it is noteworthy that the Danish industry almost managed to maintain its revenues, "says Jan Hylleberg, CEO, Danish Wind Industry Association.

Exports saw a greater decline than revenue with a 7 pct. decrease from 52.3 billion DKK in 2012 to 48.7 billion DKK in 2013. In the Danish wind industry, 61 pct. of the turnover was exported against 64 pct. in the year before.

"In addition to the large drop in the international market, the fall in exports of almost 7 pct. happened due to the extraordinary large number of activities in Denmark last year. In 2013, Danish manufacturers and companies had a larger than normal domestic focus with the commissioning of the Anholt wind farm, which meant that fewer items were exported. Therefore, the decrease is quite understandable," says Jan Hylleberg.

Political uncertainty harms
2013 was the first year since the 1980s that the global wind market dropped. This drop in installed capacity can in particular be attributed to declines in markets like the United States and Spain, where national political support for renewable energy almost disappeared.

"There is no doubt that the political uncertainty we saw in several markets in 2013 has contributed greatly to the decline we experienced in Denmark. Once again, this underlines the need for long-term planning and political clarity in all markets, so that the industry can make long-term and appropriate investments," explains Jan Hylleberg.

Market uplift in 2014The Danish wind industry can look forward to more work in 2014, where the global market according to the consulting company MAKE is expected to grow by approx. 40 pct. to 48,300 MW. Jan Hylleberg assesses that Danish companies have a good basis for taking part in the market growth.

"Towards the end of 2013, we saw a large number of companies gearing up to match the increased activity in 2014. Therefore, it is also our expectation that we in 2014 will increase our market share and increase exports and revenues in the industry, " says Jan Hylleberg and concludes:

"2013 was not a good year for the global wind industry, but from a Danish perspective we performed satisfactorily and managed better than average. Therefore, the Danish industry is also well prepared for 2014, which we expect to be levelled with the record year of 2012."

05 03 2014 | Wind makes up less than 5 % of Danes’ electricity bill

In 2013, tariffs supporting wind energy made up 4.6 pct. of Danish utility bills – a slight increase from 2 pct. in 2012. Calculations by the Danish Wind Industry...

05 03 2014 Wind makes up less than 5 % of Danes’ electricity bill

In 2013, tariffs supporting wind energy made up 4.6 pct. of Danish utility bills – a slight increase from 2 pct. in 2012. Calculations by the Danish Wind Industry Association show that the increase can be attributed to Denmark's largest offshore wind farm, which was completed in 2013.

In March 2012, the National Energy Agreement was approved with broad political support for an ambitious green restructuring of the Danish energy system toward 2020. The agreement defines the framework and targets for future Danish renewable energy expansions. With the agreement, the financial support for renewable energy continues to be paid over the Danish electricity bills through the Public Service Obligation tariff (PSO).

The collective PSO tariffs amounted to 5.3 billion DKK in 2013, which corresponds to 7.9 pct. of the total electricity bill for an average Danish household. 3.1 billion DKK of the PSO tariff went to wind energy, which forms the backbone of the Danish government’s green energy plan, where wind is to deliver 50 pct. of Danes’ electricity in 2020.

"Looking at the PSO figures from 2013, we see that average Danish households paid almost 8 pct. of their electricity bills to the transformation of the Danish energy system. Just over half of that, 4.6 pct., went to support wind energy. 4.6 pct. is a small part of the total electricity bill, however a very important part, as it contributes to the reformation and development of Denmark's energy supply," says Jan Hylleberg, CEO of the Danish Wind Industry Association.
Support for wind increases In 2012, the fraction of the PSO tariff going to wind was 44 pct. and amounted to approx. 2 billion DKK. The share paid to wind energy was 4 pct. of the electricity bill for an average Danish household in 2012. Comparing the figures from 2013 with 2012, both the total tariff costs and the wind share increased. This increase happened for a good reason and on the basis of political decisions, states Jan Hylleberg:

"Wind is the cheapest form of renewable energy in Denmark, which is why this energy source naturally attracts more investments. Wind energy is also the cheapest way in which the goals for Denmark’s green transition are best achieved. In 2013, Danish households are to a larger extent than in 2012 contributing to the transformation of the Danish energy system through their electric bills, because we are now sourcing even more energy from wind."

With the approval of the National Energy Agreement this trend is predicted to continue in 2014 as the expected expansion of the Danish wind capacity takes place.

"It was expected, that we would see an increase from 2012 to 2013 due to the commissioning of the Anholt offshore wind farm (400 MW), which was planned prior to the 2012 energy agreement entered into force. This is what we see reflected in the PSO increase between the two years," says Jan Hylleberg.

Offshore wind turbines receive support in an average of 12-13 years, while onshore turbines are supported for an average of seven years. When the support scheme expires, turbines only receive the price rates determined by the electricity market.
Support for other energy sourcesIn addition to wind energy, other energy technologies receive support through the PSO tariff. 22.3 pct. of the PSO went to decentralized fossil power plants, while 7.7 pct. went to biogas and 8.6 pct. to biomass.

In addition, solar and wave energy are also included in the PSO tariffs. As the support for solar energy is changing, it is expected that the support for solar power will account for an increasing proportion of future PSO payments.

An average Danish householdThe composition of the electricity bill means that an average Danish household with an annual consumption of 4,000 kWh paid 695 DKK through the PSO in 2013 – out of which support to wind energy accounted for 403 DKK.

About the PSO tariffPSO stands for "Public Service Obligation", and is a tariff that individual consumers and businesses pay through their electricity bills. It is through the PSO tariff that the production of renewable energy, operation of decentralized power plants and research in clean energy technologies are supported.

Energinet.dk sets the PSO tariff each quarter. The PSO tariff builds on the principles that when the price of electricity is high, renewable energy requires a smaller PSO contribution to be competitive. A higher PSO tariff is temporarily needed when electricity prices fall in order for green energy to remain profitable.

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